Elementary School Kids and Cellphones... Weigh in

[gustafngrete]

I am not talking about smart a phone... More like a pay-as you-go cell phone with a couple of pre-programmed numbers.

DS1, who is now in fourth grade, is starting to spread his wings a little... biking to and from school w/ friends, hanging out and biking around our neighborhood after school.  The problem is that it's tricky for him to update his status without riding home.  The result is that he will go to a random friend's house (Esp. one family) and hijack the house phone. Maybe it's time to get his own cell phone?

If I seemed flummoxed, it's because I had no idea that we were going to be at this crossroad yet.  He is 9 1/2.

What is your experience with this?  

[curtains]

My dd had a prepaid at that age. It was one of those phones that could only dial 4 numbers plus 911. It made me more comfortable when she was with her dad that she could call me if she wanted too. And they could call each other if they wanted too when she was with me. It worked for us.

I think it was called firefly or something like that.

[bbaggins]

Sept 19, 2014 19:25:34 GMT -5 frkls said:

i would skip the phone and get him a watch. tell him what time to be home.

I was trying to remember what we did before cell phones and I think this is the answer I was looking for.

[sporky]

I don't understand the problem of using friend's house phone.

[curtains]

This was the phone.
emergency-cell-phone-review.toptenreviews.com/firefly-glowphone-review.html

[Deleted]

Sept 19, 2014 19:15:11 GMT -5 @chloe77 said:

I would do it so I could turn on find my friends and know where he is all the time. I don't know what age I'll get my kids a phone, but 4th grade doesn't seem crazy early to me... I feel like at that age it's a good tool to keep track of him and he probably won't be interested in talking on the phone to friends or anything,

Oh man, I don't think I'd trust a 9 year old with a phone that retails for at least $500. Maybe train some tracking pigeons or something  

[Deleted]

Sept 19, 2014 19:12:25 GMT -5 gustafngrete said:

 The result is that he will go to a random friend's house (Esp. one family) and hijack the house phone. 

What does this mean? Does he just go to his friends house to talk on the phone for hours?

[compassrose]

I think verizon offers a couple of phones that only hold 4 numbers + 911 that are super cheap to add to your account if you have them.

[papie]

I don't understand why he can't call from a friends house?

[hisno1girl]

I'm with Sporky. What's the problem with him using a friend's house phone? surely the parents don't have a problem with it?

ETA: I think 9 is too young for a phone.

[Deleted]

Sept 19, 2014 19:38:10 GMT -5 nicbreeful said:

I'd do that jitter bug phone (is that what they're called?).. the one that is designed for young kids.

I think that's the phone for senior citizens...

[Doggy Mommy]

Speaking as a 4th grade teacher, it is not at all unusual or weird for 4th graders to have cell phones. The school I am at is very tech-oriented and we let kids use their phones at times. Kids will take pictures of things they want to remember (like flyers about school events) and set up reminders about assignments. I have no problem with kids having phones as long as there are parameters and rules etc.

[gustafngrete]

Sept 19, 2014 19:37:48 GMT -5 @wandering said:

Sept 19, 2014 19:12:25 GMT -5 gustafngrete said:

 The result is that he will go to a random friend's house (Esp. one family) and hijack the house phone. 

What does this mean? Does he just go to his friends house to talk on the phone for hours?

He is a little compulsive (which is a separate issue).  He used this one friend's phone 3 times yesterday.  "Mom, I'm at Johnny's house; Mom, can I go to the school now?, Mom can I get an extra 15 minutes?" I thought that maybe if he had a phone he could regulate his check ins without being a bother.

We are planning on getting him a watch this weekend, which may help.

[Deleted]

Sept 19, 2014 19:49:40 GMT -5 gustafngrete said:

Sept 19, 2014 19:37:48 GMT -5 @wandering said:

What does this mean? Does he just go to his friends house to talk on the phone for hours?

He is a little compulsive (which is a separate issue).  He used this one friend's phone 3 times yesterday.  "Mom, I'm at Johnny's house; Mom, can I go to the school now?, Mom can I get an extra 15 minutes?" I thought that maybe if he had a phone he could regulate his check ins without being a bother.

We are planning on getting him a watch this weekend, which may help.

He sounds very responsible!

I can't imagine a parent being mad at a child for making several 1 minute phone calls to his parents. 

But if you think a phone would be better for him, a cell phone in 4th grade isn't the most unreasonable thing I've heard of...unlike the story of the mom sharing her vibrator with her 11 year old :/ 

[devonpow]

I think in 4th grade it is fine to have a phone (one of those kid ones with only 2 numbers plus 911 or something). DS1 is in 2nd grade...two years from now I can definitely see it being beneficial. He may not always be somewhere he can use another phone (parks, soccer practice, etc) and him having one will allow ME to contract him if need be (the other day I couldn't find him at the playground and had actually pulled my cell out to call and see where he was before thinking "D'oh! My 7 year old doesn't have a cell phone!" Lol

Now a smart phone/phone with texting etc. nope.

[gustafngrete]

Sept 19, 2014 19:53:27 GMT -5 @wandering said:

Sept 19, 2014 19:49:40 GMT -5 gustafngrete said:

He is a little compulsive (which is a separate issue).  He used this one friend's phone 3 times yesterday.  "Mom, I'm at Johnny's house; Mom, can I go to the school now?, Mom can I get an extra 15 minutes?" I thought that maybe if he had a phone he could regulate his check ins without being a bother.

We are planning on getting him a watch this weekend, which may help.

He sounds very responsible!

I can't imagine a parent being mad at a child for making several 1 minute phone calls to his parents. 

But if you think a phone would be better for him, a cell phone in 4th grade isn't the most unreasonable thing I've heard of...unlike the story of the mom sharing her vibrator with her 11 year old :/ 

O...M...G...

[jenna]

We got my SS a nice walkie talkie set so he could get a hold of us when he was riding his bike in the neighborhood.

He's 13, and still doesn't have a cell phone. Most of the kids in his school have one.

[agnes]

Sept 19, 2014 19:47:53 GMT -5 @wandering said:

Sept 19, 2014 19:38:10 GMT -5 nicbreeful said:

I'd do that jitter bug phone (is that what they're called?).. the one that is designed for young kids.

I think that's the phone for senior citizens...

Same difference. 

[joenali]

We are dying an old flip phone for ss. He is staying home by himself a few afternoons a week. Neither set of parents have a landline. All of out numbers are programmed into it and he can text. He's a fifth grader. I don't see anything wrong with it.

[wannabe]

Sept 19, 2014 19:31:20 GMT -5 curtains said:

My dd had a prepaid at that age. It was one of those phones that could only dial 4 numbers plus 911. It made me more comfortable when she was with her dad that she could call me if she wanted too. And they could call each other if they wanted too when she was with me. It worked for us.

I think it was called firefly or something like that.

Yes, this. The teen was 9 and her dad was an ass who didn't always let her use the phone to call me. It was much easier to talk to her during his weeks once I got her a phone.

[auntie]

The phone is for you. Once your kid is out in the world without adults, they should have a phone.

DS had a cheapie flip phone pre-paid through Virgin at that age.

The downside is that while you'll be able to reach him- assuming he's got the phone on and hasn't lost it. DS managed to go through 2 phones in two days in 5th- he laundered his and then lost mine Trick or Treating.

What do you mean by "update his status"? Not a huge fan of social media use for tweens as a rule. But a phone for calling/texting should be OK.

[cinco]

I don't see a problem with it, and will consider a prepaid cheapie when my kids get a bit older (only 3rd now). Currently we use a walkie talkie, but I wouldn't trust it over a mile or so.

[wambam]

My answer here is always "when they start going places without me." And that seems to apply here.

[RoxMonster]

I don't think it's weird or unusual for a 4th grader to have a cell phone nowadays. Obviously, a smart Phone wouldn't be necessary, and I agree with getting one of those kid phones that allows them to dial only a certain set of numbers plus 911. I think (as a non-parent) if I had a kid going out places without me, even just to friends' houses in the neighborhood, I'd feel more comfortable if I knew they could contact me at any time if something happened.

For instance, even if they were just at the neighborhood park and one of them fell and broke an arm or something, I'd rather they could contact me ASAP rather than one person having to ride their bike or run to the nearest person's house, etc.

[Pixiehollow]

My third grade dd has a tracphone. It's a flip phone and we buy minutes for it. $15 at Walmart. I may get flamed but I don't care. I would never forgive myself is she had a school emergency or bus emergency and couldn't reach me. It is programmed with all of our important numbers and she knows how to call 911. She doesn't call on it or play with it otherwise. I charge it each night and it goes in a zippered pocket in her backpack where it stays.

[Deleted]

Sept 20, 2014 7:11:35 GMT -5 AutumnRose25 said:

Sept 19, 2014 19:37:03 GMT -5 @wandering said:

Oh man, I don't think I'd trust a 9 year old with a phone that retails for at least $500. Maybe train some tracking pigeons or something  

The type of phone OP is talking about is definitely no where close to $500.

Yes I know, but Chloe whom I quoted, said she'd want a phone with tracking capabilities. I didn't think non-smart phones had such abilities to track location, hence you'd need a smart phone which retails for several hundred dollars. 

[Deleted]

Sept 20, 2014 12:59:07 GMT -5 AutumnRose25 said:

Sept 20, 2014 8:55:36 GMT -5 @wandering said:

Yes I know, but Chloe whom I quoted, said she'd want a phone with tracking capabilities. I didn't think non-smart phones had such abilities to track location, hence you'd need a smart phone which retails for several hundred dollars. 

Non Smartphones can also be tracking enabled, and there are definitely kid specific phones that can be tracked.

Old school flip phones had tracking, it's not dependent on having internet capability, it uses pings from cell towers to triangulate location.

Ahh ok good to know. I know non-smart phones and kid phones can be tracked to a degree, but I didn't think they had "find a friend" capabilities like an app that the iPhone uses where you can always see where someone is that Chloe mentioned. But good to know that you don't have to have a phone with apps for such technology to work to be able to track someone continuously.

Is it just a computer program that you use to track on these phones?

Learn something new everyday!

[balletofangels]

In this case I don't think it is a bad idea. However, my school goes to fifth grade and cell phones are strictly prohibited. If you are caught with one it is confiscated. I know kids have them and keep them in their bags out of sight. Be sure to check school policies.

*district policy prohibits them all the way to 12th grade, but I think they are more lenient in high school and probably middle too

[Pixiehollow]

Yes our policy is no phone . I don't care. I'm willing to bend the rules on this. Hopefully she never has to use it.

[Deleted]

Considering that our 3 year old already refers to the iPad as "my iPad," I'm sure she'll have a phone on the earlier side. I'm breezy/indulgent about this stuff; I know it. I tend to buy her a lot of expensive crap for birthdays and holidays that she doesn't need; at least you can make a safety/logistical argument about a phone. I mean, how is this different than a Leapfrog or American Girl doll or any other expensive item and its accessories?

That said, I would not care one iota if one of her friends who didn't have a cell asked to use our house phone while she was visiting -- don't feel guilty about that!